While most hardware "just works" with PC-BSD, it is possible that you'll run across a piece of hardware that does not. If you do, you can help improve hardware support for all PC-BSD users by [[Report Bugs | reporting the problem]] so that it can be addressed by the developers. It should be remembered that PC-BSD is really FreeBSD, meaning that any hardware that works on FreeBSD will work on PC-BSD.

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If you wish to check your hardware before installing PC-BSD, a good place to start is the [NEED URL FreeBSD 9.0 Hardware List]. Another good method is to run PC-BSD in [[PC-BSD Live Mode|Live Mode]], that way you can test your various devices before committing to an install.

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If you are experiencing problems with a device, start with a Google search for the term "FreeBSD" and the type and model of the hardware. This will let you know if there is a known issue with the device. If there are many search results, concentrate on the most recent ones as often hardware that used to be problematic has since been fixed or the missing driver will be available in an upcoming release of FreeBSD.

Currently there are some known issues with wireless devices and the developers that are fixing these problems are looking for testers. More information is available on the [[Wireless Testing]] page.

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To start the application, double-click its icon in Control Panel or open an xterm and type '''pc-sysinstaller -checkhardware'''.

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If you experience problems with a device that should work but does not or you can't find any existing problem reports for your hardware, please take a few moments to report the problem. Instructions on where to send your report and suggestions for what information should be included in your report can be found on the [[Become a Beta Tester]] page.

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In the example shown in Figure 8.5a, this system has a detected NVIDIA video card with a configured resolution of 1600x900, one Ethernet device using the {{citelink|url=http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=em&apropos=0&sektion=4|txt=em(4)}} driver, and one wireless device using the {{citelink|url=http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=iwn&apropos=0&sektion=4|txt=iwn(4)}} driver. Currently no sound card is detected, meaning that the user should configure and test their sound card using the {{local|link=Sound Configuration}} icon in Control Panel.

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If the wireless device shows as unsupported, check the {{local|link=Wireless Testing}} page to help determine if a driver is forthcoming or if the device is well suited to converting a Windows driver into a FreeBSD loadable module.

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Hardware that is currently incompatible may show with a green checkbox after a system upgrade or update. This indicates that the update added the driver for the device.

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[[category:Hardware Compatibility]]

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Revision as of 04:20, 4 November 2013

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The PC-BSD® installer allows you to quickly determine if your system's video card, Ethernet card, wireless device, and sound card are compatible with PC-BSD®. The "Hardware Compatibility" icon in Control Panel provides a quick overview of the system's detected hardware.

Figure 8.5a: Sample Hardware Compatibility

To start the application, double-click its icon in Control Panel or open an xterm and type pc-sysinstaller -checkhardware.

In the example shown in Figure 8.5a, this system has a detected NVIDIA video card with a configured resolution of 1600x900, one Ethernet device using the em(4)[1] driver, and one wireless device using the iwn(4)[2] driver. Currently no sound card is detected, meaning that the user should configure and test their sound card using the Sound Configuration icon in Control Panel.

If the wireless device shows as unsupported, check the Wireless Testing page to help determine if a driver is forthcoming or if the device is well suited to converting a Windows driver into a FreeBSD loadable module.

Hardware that is currently incompatible may show with a green checkbox after a system upgrade or update. This indicates that the update added the driver for the device.